Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Four shadowy figures appeared inside a void-bound portable hall.

Ji Yuchuan spoke first. “Old Yuan, that move was too rushed. He’s already starting to suspect you.”

Yuan Hongyi scoffed, his gaze sweeping the others with chilling indifference. “If I hadn’t done it, would your doubts have been dispelled?”

As his voice fell, three storage rings flew toward them. “This year’s shares are inside.”

The three accepted the rings. Tu Yongsi, sleeves folded, looked at Yuan Hongyi with a deep gaze. “You killed Huang Bin?”

A cold glint crossed Yuan Hongyi’s eyes. “He bit off more than he could chew. It was only a matter of time before he choked.”

As he spoke, his eyes darted towards Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi frowned. Huang Bin had been his man. Yuan Hongyi’s move was a warning not to get too greedy. Among the six hall masters of the Yellow Tower, everyone knew who backed whom.

Ji Yuchuan’s lips curled. “Have you chosen a new Black Hall Master?”

“Yes. That Su You fellow isn’t bad. I’ve been testing him.”

Jiang Yi narrowed his eyes and said slowly, “Isn’t that a bit too coincidental? Su You… I think we should observe him a bit longer.”The dim hall fell silent. Yuan Hongyi’s expression twitched, irritation flashing across his face. In his eyes, Jiang Yi was only saying this because his own man had been eliminated. Each of them profited from one of the Yellow Tower halls. Jiang Yi’s urgency was understandable.

“Heh. I’ll handle the selection myself. No need for your concern.”

Jiang Yi’s eyes twitched. He snorted, then turned to Tu Yongsi. “Still no news?”

Tu Yongsi shook his head. “It’s not that simple… I advise all of you not to go too far. If Gu Yong survives the Heavenly Tribulation, we will all die.”

Everyone’s expressions tightened. That was precisely why none of them dared to push further.

After a moment of silence, Ji Yuchuan spoke again. “What now? The four towers are gone. Li Guanqi is going to take full control.”

Jiang Yi sneered. “He’s just a brat. Does he really think he can manage all the tower affairs? If he wants control, let him have it. When he’s suffered enough, he’ll understand.”

The others exchanged glances, each lost in their own thoughts. Soon, the hall faded and vanished back into the void.

The instant it disappeared, a figure in white stepped from the cracks of space. Li Guanqi’s eyes were ice-cold.

Li Guanqi’s eyes were ice-cold as he murmured, “All four tower words… Interesting. I really didn’t expect this.”

He gave a faint, cold laugh and disappeared once more into the void.

***

Back in his study, Yuan Hongyi poured himself a cup of spirit tea and read through intelligence reports, a faint smile on his lips.

The report stated that Su You hadn’t left his room at all the previous day, but Yuan Hongyi had already drawn his conclusions. Trying to push Su You into position? Pavilion Master Li isn’t as foolish as he looks…

If even Jiang Yi could sense something off, how could Yuan Hongyi not? But even if it was Li Guanqi’s scheme, what did it matter? Su You could become a hall master and still remain under Yuan Hongyi’s control.

And if Huang Bin hadn’t been Yuan Hongyi’s man, then he was certainly Jiang Yi’s. Killing him and reclaiming control of the Black Hall was a win either way. Even if it was a trap, he was willing to step into it.

***

After returning to the White Tower, Li Guanqi used the Pavilion Master token to ascend level by level.

At the very top lay a replica of the Heavenly Intelligence Map. He wanted to see for himself why the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion had once valued it so highly.

He passed through layers of barriers and guards, arriving at last before a stone gate. An old man stood guard at the entrance, dressed in grey robes and leaning on a jade-green cane. His aura was deep, at the early Illusory Refinement Realm, profound yet tinged with decay.

The old man had been resting with his eyes closed. He opened them and glanced at Li Guanqi, but couldn’t sense any aura from him at all. The old man’s breath caught. Once he noticed the jade token at Li Guanqi’s waist, he rose and bowed. “Greetings, Pavilion Master. I am Ding Xuan.”

Li Guanqi frowned. His Pavilion Master token could not open the stone gate. He glanced at Ding Xuan. “Open it.”

The old man lowered his head and said nothing.

Li Guanqi’s eyes narrowed, his voice going cold. “I told you to open it.”

“Without the Red Tower Master’s token, I have no authority to open this gate,” Ding Xuan said, his tone low and firm.

Li Guanqi almost laughed from the sheer absurdity.

Boom!

Pressure burst outward. Ding Xuan groaned as his knees buckled, slamming into the stone floor. The force crushed him flat, leaving him unable to lift his head. His cloudy eyes went wide. He hadn’t expected Li Guanqi’s pressure to be so overwhelming.

The disturbance drew attention at once.

Tu Yongsi looked up toward the top of the White Tower, his face draining of color. “This is bad… he’s gone to the top floor!”

By the time Tu Yongsi arrived, everyone in the White Tower had stopped what they were doing. Ding Xuan lay on the ground with his legs crushed, blood pouring from his seven orifices, his face flushed a deep, ugly red. Strangely, the other three tower masters were nowhere to be seen.

Tu Yongsi’s face was extremely grim. He hadn’t expected Li Guanqi to go to the White Tower, so he’d forgotten to warn Ding Xuan.

Li Guanqi stood with his back to the room, his pressure still climbing. He sensed Tu Yongsi’s arrival but didn’t turn around. He didn’t even bother to open his eyes.

Cold sweat lined Tu Yongsi’s forehead as he bowed uneasily.

“Tu Yongsi,” Li Guanqi said, his voice calm.

“Y-Yes, Pavilion Master…”

“Answer me. Am I the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion, or is it you, Tu Yongsi?” Li Guanqi said, his tone flat.

Tu Yongsi swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. “O-of course it’s not me, Pavilion Master.”

A faint scoff escaped Li Guanqi’s lips. Behind him, the sword coffin appeared, and a flash of red streaked through the air.

Boom!

The stone gate sealing the Heavenly Intelligence Map exploded.